I think too many people have lost sight of two things - the victim and that the death penalty is supposed to be a PUNISHMENT. Execution isn't euthanasia - it isn't being used to "put down" an injured animal or to relieve a terminally ill person of a painful, lengthy death. It's about administering the ultimate punishment for the ultimate crime and if the offender happens to suffer during the process - tough. Whatever pain that person suffers would never come close to equaling the pain felt by those who have lost a loved one to criminal violence. I find the whole process of the death penalty an insult to victims of crime and their families. Victims are not given a "last meal", "last rites" or last visits from their family. Civilised humans are compelled to not lower themselves to the levels of those uncivilised but this doesn't mean that we need to do more than the bare minimum.

Perfect justice would be to subject the offender to the same type of death to which his/her victim was subjected but I would be satisfied with a bullet/rope. However, I'm not satisified with the expensive lengths to which the system currently goes to "ensure the [offender] doesn't suffer", particularly when one considers that the money could be more appropriately spent ensuring that indigent defendants in capital cases are afforded a competent defense. It's far more important to ensure that innocent people are not wrongly executed than to ensure that guilty people do not suffer during execution.

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matthew 5:38-39, NRSV)

It's not only a matter of showing common decency to families of the convicts, but also the belief that anyone who derives pleasure or satisfaction out of torturing someone is unhealthy. You might be all smiles watching a killer die an agonizing death, but at some point most human beings would feel compassion even for him. Another aspect, of course, is vengeance begets vengeance, so the government should remain above the emotional fray and carry out the sentence in a neutral way.

My favorite "poster boys" for the reason we should bring back "public hangings"

Little Jeffrey Curley, the two Filthy Animals that murdered this ten year old boy are now in Walpole State Prison lifting weights, watching TV, getting three meals a day, free dental, free health care and having sex with their "new boyfriends".

These two perverted snake bastards kidnapped little Jeffrey, they then took him to their apartment where they both "Sodomized Him" several times, they then decided that little Jeffrey should die, their method of exacution was a gasoline soaked rag held over Jeffreys mouth and nose until he died screaming and kicking and probably thinking of his mother.

Now one of the worst parts of this story, these two "Scum" decided they were still "Horny" so what do they do, they have sex again, with the little dead body.

The sex and the killing is finally over, now the exacutioners have to get rid of the little ten year old piece of meat, they load him into a cooler, stick him in the trunk of their car and drive to Maine where they dump him in a river.

On the way home they stop in Portsmouth NH and have some Fried Clams.

Massachusetts will now have to feed and care for these two Swine for the rest of their lives but who knows, the way things are going in America right now some slobbering hand wringing do-gooder of the future may come along, turn them loose, give them a new suit, a new car, some food stamps and help them write a book about how bad and inhumane prison is.
:bricks:

Actually, the punishment is taking of the life, not the process of the death. I'm opposed to the death penalty. The death penalty is not a deterrent and the process is more expensive then locking someone up for life.

The death penalty is not a deterrent and the process is more expensive then locking someone up for life.

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I don't think it is. I know the numbers say it is but a lot of the "costs" of the death penalty are fixed anyway, the cost of employing public defenders and court time. They aren't real costs of the death penalty although they are charged as such. We're far better off whacking those guys and opening up another cell so that we don't have to parole some other loser due to insufficient jail space.

You have heard that it was said, "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth". But I say to you, do not resist an evildoer. If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. (Matthew 5:38-39, NRSV)

It's not only a matter of showing common decency to families of the convicts

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I guess we should just let them out them. Poor murderers :bricks:

That's bull, Patters, just as is typical for you. The only worthwhile argument against the death penalty is whether people are executed for crimes they didn't commit. That argument is difficult for me - a death penalty proponent. But that drivel that you spew, I laugh in your face :singing:

I'm still trying to get my idea through Congress:
Build a gigantic prison under the Brooks Range in Alaska. No fences moats, guard towers necessary. Put all murderers (exept for the ones who kill their abusers) and pedofiles there for life and airlift provisions once a month. Implant a tracking device in all prisoners. Let them form their own society. If they manage to make a break for it somehow, track them down and put them back.

Actually, the punishment is taking of the life, not the process of the death. I'm opposed to the death penalty. The death penalty is not a deterrent and the process is more expensive then locking someone up for life.

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The Death Penalty IS a deterrent to the person that they put to death it makes sure that the filthy murdering child molesting bastards will never kill again, a murderer can never kill again if he himself is DEAD.

The Death Penalty IS a deterrent to the person that they put to death it makes sure that the filthy murdering child molesting bastards will never kill again, a murderer can never kill again if he himself is DEAD.

I'm still trying to get my idea through Congress:
Build a gigantic prison under the Brooks Range in Alaska. No fences moats, guard towers necessary. Put all murderers (exept for the ones who kill their abusers) and pedofiles there for life and airlift provisions once a month. Implant a tracking device in all prisoners. Let them form their own society. If they manage to make a break for it somehow, track them down and put them back.

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Very good, a great idea, then if they feel like killing they can "kill each other".

Thats where all those California Gang Banger retards belong, they could spend their days giving each other hand signals, looking at their tattoo's and raping each other.

I'm still trying to get my idea through Congress:
Build a gigantic prison under the Brooks Range in Alaska. No fences moats, guard towers necessary. Put all murderers (exept for the ones who kill their abusers) and pedofiles there for life and airlift provisions once a month. Implant a tracking device in all prisoners. Let them form their own society. If they manage to make a break for it somehow, track them down and put them back.

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Good idea, but instead of bringing them back, simply shoot them down if they pass a certain barrier.

Though none of us agree with Osama's definition of an enemy, it appears that the right wing agrees with him that it's okay to torture an enemy before putting him to death.

BF, I wasn't arguing against the death penalty, I was arguing against torture, which PF1996 is evidentally a fan of. As far as the death penalty goes, I favor it only for killers who might have power even when they're behind bars, such as members of organized crime, political figures, drug dealers, and so on. I'm against the death penalty not only because there have apparently been many mistakes made, but also because for someone to become a killer, society may have failed in some way and so we bear some responsibility. I'm not against life imprisonment without parole for serious criminals.

I'm still trying to get my idea through Congress:
Build a gigantic prison under the Brooks Range in Alaska. No fences moats, guard towers necessary. Put all murderers (exept for the ones who kill their abusers) and pedofiles there for life and airlift provisions once a month. Implant a tracking device in all prisoners. Let them form their own society. If they manage to make a break for it somehow, track them down and put them back.

I'm still trying to get my idea through Congress:
Build a gigantic prison under the Brooks Range in Alaska. No fences moats, guard towers necessary. Put all murderers (exept for the ones who kill their abusers) and pedofiles there for life and airlift provisions once a month. Implant a tracking device in all prisoners. Let them form their own society. If they manage to make a break for it somehow, track them down and put them back.

Click to expand...

My idea is similar, build a supersecure prison somewhere in Montana.. everyone gets a cell w/an outside cage, with a tv I control, no human contact, you get a 1/2 hour per day in your outside cage alone, absolutely no human contact, Correctional officers are forbidden to talk to you.. food is pushed through a door.. everything you need is fed to you either via tv or nourishment... you will die of boredom or go out of your mind and kill yourself, saving the taxpayers beaucoup bucks.

Don't let these folks destroy Alaska, if you put it there w/o walls, in a hundred years you will have a super dysfunctional Australia.